Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is proposing fishing regulation changes designed to further protect westslope cutthroat trout basinwide and bull trout in the South Fork.

The following is a look at some of the more notable changes proposed starting the 2027 season:

For bull trout in the Hungry Horse Reservoir, anglers would be limited to one fish per license year and a bull trout must be at least 28 inches to keep. The reservoir fishing for bull trout would also be changed to July 1 to Sept. 1 starting in 2027, if approved.

The season in the South Fork runs from July 1 to July 31. No bull trout can be kept from the South Fork and must be released.

In addition, a Hungry Horse/South Fork Flathead Bull Trout Catch Card must be in possession when fishing for bull trout. The area is one of the few places west of the divide where it is legal to fish for bull trout, which is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act..

The reason for the change is a drastic drop in redd counts (spawning beds) in the South Fork and spawning tributaries to the reservoir.

Redd counts in all South Fork/reservoir tributaries were last completed in 2024. The 2024 redd count survey revealed the lowest number of redds on record, FWP noted. 

This was the second consecutive year of lowest redd count totals and a trend since 2006. Redd count totals were 48% of the long-term average. During that same period, participation in the Hungry Horse/South Fork bull trout catch-card fishery has been increasing since its inception in 2004. Estimated bull trout angling pressure in the South Fork Flathead River has tripled since 2014, from about 700 angler days a season to more than 2,100 in 2023. 

“FWP suspects that angling could be partially responsible for the decline in redd numbers,” the agency noted.

In 2025, FWP determined that reducing the amount of angler harvest in the reservoir will likely help stabilize the downward trend in adult bull trout numbers.

The season change in the reservoir will be consistent with the beginning of the catch and release season in the South Fork Flathead River and will allow migrating bull trout the opportunity to proceed upriver without being targeted in the transitional zone where the river enters the reservoir.

FWP is also advocating for no live or dead bait in the Flathead River except for maggots. In addition, the limit for northern pike, rainbow trout and  smallmouth bass in Flathead Lake would be unlimited, as they are all non-native species.

Another notable local change would be single hooks only for flies and lures in the North Fork of the Flathead. The idea is to stop the use of treble hooks, which cause more damage to a fish’s mouth when caught.

The entire regulation changes are available at: fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/public-comment-opportunities/fishing-regulations

A public meeting locally is at FWP regional office in Kalispell 5:30 p.m. May 14.